The wall of Berlin, the spine-chilling reminder of the Cold War, the symbol of the ideological gap, is the remembrance of a world that was greatly fragmented. Its creation was a tremendous occasion in the history of the 20 th century which is mostly reduced to one story. But the truth about the creators of the wall can be hidden only with a further immersion in the realities of geopolitics of that era, showing the fine tuning between the East Germany leadership, the Soviet support, and the scramble to keep afloat any costs.
The East Germany Regime: The Force That Made the Wall to be Built
Although it is a fact that the Soviet Union was instrumental in allowing the building of the wall, the greatest responsibility in actually building and maintaining the wall was squarely theirs, the German Democratic Republic (GDR), or East Germany. East German government, led by Walter Ulbricht and subsequently Erich Honecker, did not view the wall as a symbol of suppression, but rather a necessary precaution to safeguard its socialist state against what they believed to be Western capitalist aggression and the ever-looming danger of mass defection.</
The constant loss of East Germans who escaped to West Berlin, so-called brain drain, posed a great economic and political threat to the East German economy that was already devastated. The emigration of skilled workers, professionals and Intellectuals crippled the infrastructure of the GDR and deprived the regime of its legitimacy. This continuous leakage of citizens was one of the reasons why the East German government was so keen to stop emigration at all costs. The wall was created as the final, yet savage solution.
The Swiss Army and the Construction Workers The East German Army and Construction Workers
The actual building of the Berlin wall was a major East German mobilization. The East German military (Volksarmee- National People s Army) was instrumental in guarding the construction sites, in the supply of security guards, and in generally seeing that things ran smoothly in carrying out the operation. Tens of thousands of regular construction laborers, many of them forced or impressed, worked on the huge project.
The construction of the wall and its speed and efficiency was impressive, which could only be achieved by the coordinated work of the East German state apparatus. Whether it is the earlier barbed wire or the subsequent more impressive concrete barrier, the creation process consisted of several phases of its development, and each phase could be characterized by the alternating ideas of the regime regarding the control of the border area and the marginalization of opposing voice.

Soviet Pressure and Material Assistance: A Partner that cannot be Ignored.
There was the East Germans who were in the lead when it came to the construction and preservation of the wall, but one cannot overlofixed the role of the Soviet Union. Soviet Union assisted in the provision of essential logistical facilities as well as technical knowledge, but did not supervise the actual construction process. This assistance consisted of supply of materials, equipment, and, most important, implicit approval – and possibly stimulation – of the project.
The Soviets were also interested in the stability of their satellite states in East Germany and the Berlin wall was a very strong symbol of the partition of Germany and Europe in entirety. The wall gave strength to the Iron Curtain and served to cement the Soviet sphere of influence. So, they participated in the project indirectly but their assistance was vital to its success.
Beyond Bricks and Mortar: Ideology Justification.
The Soviet discourse about the Berlin Wall, similarly to the one used by the East German government, defined its presence not as repression, but as security. It was propaganda that presented the wall as protection against Western aggression, an evil necessary to sustain the socialist ideal of the GDR. This ideological rationale served to give the wall credibility at least in the beginning in the minds of many East Germans.
This propagandistic campaign was very important in providing the opinion of the people in the Soviet sphere of influence. With the help of stressing on the anti-fascist character of the GDR, as well as the alleged danger of West Germany and the West on the whole, the Soviets managed to frame the discourse, in which the repressive character of the wall was downplayed.
Legacy of The Wall and its Continued Relevance today
The creation of the Berlin wall can be regarded as a bright example of the horrible effects of the ideological confrontation and the price of the totalitarian system in human lives. Its destruction in 1989 was a historical event that indicated the culmination of the cold war and the dawn of a new age of (comparatively) bigger freedom and transparency.

The demrangle of the wall did not only serve as the representation of the crumble of the communist regime in Eastern Europe but also demonstrated the vulnerability of the systems of fear and oppressions that were constructed in the region. The legacy of the wall remains as a warning and as a demonstration of the strength of the human spirit and the desiring of freedom.

Commemoration of the Victims: An Important Part of the History of the Wall.
The human cost of the Berlin Wall is important to bear in mind. Hundreds of individuals ended up dead trying to cross the wall which was highly militarized, which served as a harsh reminder of the wall and its cruelties. These are the stories that are largely left out of the bigger picture, but whichPlayers offer a vital perspective onto the human experience of the division, and the persecution that was enacted by the East German government as well as the Soviet Union itself.
The memory of the victims of the Berlin Wall is not only a dedication to their cause but also a reminder of the threat of uncontrolled power and the maintenance of the regime that deprives people of basic human rights. They should remember the cost of freedom and the value of human dignity by their stories forever.
In summary, the Berlin Wall is a monument of the Cold War, but the responsibility of the wall construction is put on one entity, which simplifies the historical process. The project was headed by the East German government, which was inspired by the blend of ideological zeal and practical interest. Nonetheless, the implied encouragement and material support of the Soviet Union proved instrumental to its implementation as well. The history of the wall must hold the East German regime responsible but at the same time appreciate the critical role its mighty Soviet ally played.

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